The present invention relates to a rotatable heat transfer coupling, and more particularly to a hinge for rotatably connecting a first object to a second object while providing for an efficient heat transfer path through the hinge.
The transfer of heat between a source and a sink is a known phenomenon. However, in order to obtain efficient heat transfer between objects, it is necessary to have a good heat conducting medium as well as to maximize the contact area between adjoining objects or heat conductors in order to provide for efficient transfer between the objects. While this is more easily accomplished for heat transfer between stationary objects, to date, no rotatable heat transfer couplings which have a good heat transfer efficiency are known.
It is especially important in the field of notebook computers to provide a means for transferring heat away from the processor and dissipating the heat. With the increased processor speeds and processing capacities, the amount of heat generated by the CPU has increased, generally requiring larger heat sinks attached to the CPU and fans for cooling the heat sinks. However, the energy drawn by the fan reduces the amount of computer usage time between battery recharging.
It would be desirable to provide an efficient heat transfer medium for transferring heat from a source, through a rotatable coupling, to a sink. In the field of notebook computers it would be especially advantageous to transfer heat from a CPU in the computer housing away from the processor to an area where it can be dissipated, preferably without the need for consuming power from the battery, such as by providing a higher capacity fan. It has been proposed to transfer the heat to the screen housing of the notebook computer where it can be dissipated more easily than in the lower base, since the screen housing is exposed on all sides during use as opposed to the lower base which usually rests on a flat surface. However, no efficient and reliable method has been previously known for transfer of heat from the processor housing in a notebook computer to the screen housing through a rotatable joint.